Ultrasonic thermometric measurement system for solid rocket combustion chambers

Solid rocket motor (SRM) temperature is an important physical parameter for which there is no reliable in situ measurement device, apart from a thermocouple, for such a high temperature environment apart. In this study, an ultrasonic temperature measurement system was designed with an iridium-rhodium-40% alloy waveguide. Laboratory experiments showed that the device obtained ultrasonic signals up to 1800 °C with a temperature fitting curve from room temperature to 1800 °C. The thermometer also operated stably under high temperature and produced a repeatable calibration curve, at 97% repeatability. An error band was obtained with 95% confidence. At temperatures above 1000 °C, sensitivity gradually increased to a maximum of 0.0035 µs/°C. A corresponding application structure was established for an SRM before subjecting the sensor to a temperature test experiment. The temperature–time curve obtained detected a peak temperature at 1744 °C.